Grand jury refuses to indict six Democrats over military-resistance video

A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., declined to indict six Democratic members of Congress who appeared in a video urging U.S. military and intelligence personnel to refuse unlawful orders, according to multiple news outlets. The decision, reported Tuesday by CBS News, CNN, the Associated Press and others, represents an unusual rebuke of prosecutors in a politically charged investigation.

The lawmakers identified by coverage include Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania and Rep. Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire. CNN and Spectrum Local News noted that all six previously served in the military or in intelligence agencies. CBS News reported the declination citing three people familiar with the matter, including one within the Justice Department; AP and other outlets cited a person familiar with the proceedings.

The contested material was a short, 90-second video clip posted in November, CNN reported. The clip warned that threats “to our Constitution” are coming “from right here at home” and repeatedly urged the military and intelligence community to “refuse illegal orders,” according to the network. Within weeks of posting, federal prosecutors contacted several participants as part of the investigation, CNN reported.

Major outlets said prosecutors had sought an indictment, but details about any specific charges remain unclear in public reporting. CBS News said federal prosecutors had sought an indictment against the participants. MS NOW, citing a person familiar with the proceedings, reported that a grand jury “declined to indict Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., on charges of seditious conspiracy.” Other outlets covering the story either did not confirm particular charges or said it was not immediately clear which lawmakers, if any individually, had been targeted for indictment. The discrepancy over whether seditious-conspiracy charges were sought for specific lawmakers remains unresolved in the public record.

The grand jury’s refusal to sign off on charges has been characterized by several outlets as uncommon. CBS News called it “highly unusual for grand juries to decline indictments,” noting the Justice Department has struggled with grand juries in recent months in politically sensitive cases. Spectrum described the outcome as the latest in a series of rebukes of prosecutors by citizen jurors in the capital.

The reaction from the White House and lawmakers intensified the political stakes. The Guardian reported that President Donald Trump described the clip as “seditious behavior by traitors” that was “punishable by death,” and cited CBS reporting that the president called the comments “seditious” and demanded they be “ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL.” Slotkin told CBS that the president was seeking to “weaponize our justice system against his perceived enemies.” Sen. Mark Kelly called the decision by the grand jury an “outrageous abuse of power,” language published by The Guardian and repeated by CBS.

The Guardian also reported additional fallout: that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had formally censured Kelly, attempted to reduce his rank and pension, and that Kelly filed a lawsuit last month alleging the actions were an “unconstitutional crusade” and that the video was protected speech. Those specific administrative and legal claims were reported by The Guardian and have not been independently confirmed in the other accounts summarized here.

Key questions remain. News organizations say the Justice Department has been contacted for comment, and public details about what charges, if any, prosecutors sought against which lawmakers have not been disclosed. The conflicting accounts about seditious-conspiracy allegations underscore the gaps in the public record; major outlets continue to attribute their reporting to anonymous sources familiar with the matter while the department has not released a formal statement.